This document consists of an assessment by the Developing Country Centers participating in GNESD to analyze the renewable energy sector in different regions/countries to help identify potential niches where renewable energies could make a significant contribution towards poverty alleviation by not only improving quality of life but also through the development of productive activities that would generate employment and extra income for poor populations. Each center focused on identifying the benefits that selected renewable energy technologies could bring, the main barriers to their widespread dissemination, and the formulation of policy outlines and instrumentations to overcome the barriers.